Hawai'i defeats Panthers in Easter Tourney opener

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

For the Hawai'i baseball team, last night's game was like real estate: location, location, location.

Hawai'i shortstop Cortland Wilson awaits a throw with Birmingham-Southern's Adam Pease closing in. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

The Rainbows (9-18, 1-0 in the tournament) snapped a two-game skid by beating the Panthers (14-12, 1-1), last year's NAIA national champion who moved to Division I this season.

For Yamashita, the start was his first of the season after he made 17 last year. His role is everything: middle relief, closer (he had the only save until Le Ducq's last night) and spot starter. His "spot" came up last night.

"I had the opportunity and I just had to make the most of it," Yamashita said.

Yamashita (1-2) allowed a run on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts before giving way to Le Ducq, who contributed 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for his first save.

"It's so good to see him pitch well," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "He deserved it, a game like that, after his last couple outings. He's a tough kid, but more than anything, he stayed within himself. He's such a good kid that sometimes he tries so hard and overthrows and that's not the way he can be effective."

Yamashita's and Le Ducq's combined effort was enough to make Honma's two-out, two-run triple in the first inning stand up against BSC starter Jon Renfro (3-2), who pitched well enough to win in most games. He allowed two runs on three hits and three walks in six innings.

But UH's win was all about location.

First for Honma. In the first inning, Arthur Guillen singled to left-center and took second on a wild pitch before Brent Cook walked. After Lane Nogawa's sacrifice advanced the runners, Gregg Omori reached first on a fielder's choice to third that got Guillen out at home.

With runners at the corners, Honma got a curve from Renfro. Honma figured the next pitch was going to be away. He was right.

"After he threw the curve in, I figured he would give me something to look for away," said Honma, who lined an outside fastball for an opposite-field double to right to score both runners and give UH a 2-0 lead.

Location was both pitchers' mantra.

Yamashita said he had command of his fastball and change. "My curve was absolutely horrible," he said. "I didn't throw one for a strike."

Still, Yamashita used the curve as a showcase to set up his other pitches that worked.

"I was putting my fastball inside, keeping it down, working in and out, in and out," Yamashita explained. "Just like Matty (Le Ducq). You just pinpoint, hit your spots, hit your spots."

After allowing his first walk with one on and two out in the seventh, he gave way to left-hander Le Ducq. The right-handed hitting John Crew came in to pinch-hit for the left-handed hitting Scott Asher (who was pinch-hitting for Michael Wydner). Le Ducq got Crew to swing and miss at a low fastball, but the Panthers executed a double steal to put runners at second and third. Le Ducq then got Crew to swing and miss at a change and curve inside for the inning-ending strikeout.

Le Ducq got himself in a jam in the eighth, when Michael Cline and Adam Pease singled to put runners at first and second. Mac Godwin singled to left-center, but the runners had to hold up to see if center field Guillen would make the catch. The ball fell through despite Guillen's diving attempt. Honma retrieved the ball and threw to shortstop Cortland Wilson, whose throw to catcher Brian Bock caught Cline at the plate for the first out.

With runners at second and third, Connor Robertson was intentionally walked to load the bases. This is when Le Ducq took command. He struck out Adam Tucker on a curve that broke down at Tucker's feet.

"I know when I come into a game, they're looking away," Le Ducq explained. "I try to use that and throw in."

With two out, he left a fastball a little high on a 2-2 pitch to Matt Bogue, who ended up hitting a force-out grounder to Wilson to end the inning.

Le Ducq left no doubt in the ninth, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts.

The Panthers' only run came in the sixth. With one out, Pease was hit by a Yamashita pitch, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Godwin's ground single to center.

Notes: A turnstile count of 1,273 watched the three games yesterday ... UH designated hitter Scooter Martines did not start last night because of a bruised shoulder, though not related to a previous injury. He said he expects to play today. ... Trapasso said left-hander Aaron Pribble will start tonight's game against UC Riverside.

• • •

• Lewis-Clark State 10, Hawai'i-Hilo 2: Kapa'a High graduate Micah Furtado batted 3-for-4 with three RBIs for the Warriors (20-6, 1-1).

Furtado led off the bottom of the first with a triple and scored on Emerson Frostad's ground out to second. Furtado added a two-run single in L-C State's four-run third inning.

Collin Perschon (3-1) allowed two runs, one earned, in 6á innings for the Warriors. After Nick Seely got the final out in the seventh, 'Aiea High graduate Kyle Correa pitched two scoreless relief innings to finish off the Vulcans (9-26-1, 1-1), who saw a five-game winning streak stopped.

Johnny Dudoit led the Vulcans by batting 2-for-3.

Robert Shimabuku (1-6) allowed six runs in two-plus innings for the Vulcans.

Hawai'i-Hilo 001 000 100— 2 8 0
Lewis-Clark State 134 000 20X—10 13 1

Robert Shimabuku, Jeremiah Wolske (3), Bruce Nagata (7), Brandon Arakawa (8) and Nalei Sooto, Bryce Watanabe. Collin Perschon, Nick Seely (7), Kyle Correa (8) and Tyler Best. WP—Perschon. LP—Shimabuku.

Leading Hitters: UHH—Johnny Dudoit 2-3. LCS—Micah Furtado 3-4, triple, 3 runs, 3 RBIs; Mike Madrid 2-4, double, 2 RBIs; David Bernstine 2-4; Matt Morgan double, 2 runs, 2 RBIs

• San Jose State 2, Hawai'i Pacific 0: Andy Cook and Michael Malott combined on a five-hitter for the Spartans (21-9, 2-0).

Cook (1-1) allowed five hits and a walk with two strikeouts, while Malott pitched the final 2¡ innings for his first save.

Hector Zamora batted 2-for-3, accounting for half of SJSU's hits, and had an RBI single in the first inning.

HPU's Blake Marschand (1-3) allowed two runs and four hits in 8á innings. But he walked nine with six strikeouts.

T.C. Everett batted 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot for the Sea Warriors (17-18, 0-2).

San Jose State 100 000 001—2 4 1
Hawai'i Pacific 000 000 000—0 5 1

Andy Cook, Mike Malott (7) and Mark Bautista, Adam Shorsher. Blake Marschand, Neil Sullivan (9) and Shay Hirota. WP—Cook. LP—Marschand. Leading Hitters: SJSU—Hector Zamora 2-3. HPU—T.C. Everett 2-4.